“I don’t think it’s fair for the taxpayers to have to pay for a lawyer for those of us in public service,” Clark told WFPL earlier this week. “I think we should be held at a higher standard.”

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The city spent over $110,000 in legal fees in the ethics case against the late former Councilwoman Judy Green. Another $70,000 has been spent for the defense of Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin in a case that is still pending.

The Courier-Journal‘s Joe Gerth reported this week that Clark’s bill was amended by the House Local Government committee to also prohibit public funds from being used to pay for a lawyer for whoever filed the ethics complaint.

The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission does not pay for legal counsel in the defense of state lawmakers who are charged with ethics violations.